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If the airless sensation inside the space-age Samara Arena arose in part from the sopping evening humidity, then it also reflected the oxygen sucked with dramatic suddenness from Russia’s exuberant World Cup campaign.

Having glided so serenely into the last 16, the hosts smashed head-first here into the reality of their own limitations, as a Uruguay side turbocharged by Luis Suarez put them to the sword with a ruthless flourish.

There had been suggestions that Vladimir Putin might swing by this game for another dose of reflected glory, but ultimately he did well to stay away.

While the Sbornaya had quickened pulses and raised eyebrows with their constant running en route to two stirring victories, they slipped back against Uruguay into the leaden displays of old.

They did not look like the same team who had demolished Saudi Arabia and Egypt at this tournament, but they did bear an uncanny resemblance to the side who had lost tamely to Austria just a few weeks before.

Russia had the luxury of knowing that they had already eclipsed all public expectations, and it showed. On their first appearance in Samara, they encountered febrile partisan support but could do nothing to reciprocate, folding weakly as soon as Suarez ignored some wrestling in the box to dispatch his free-kick low to Igor Akinfeev’s left.

Luis Suarez opened the scoring with a well-taken free-kickCredit:
AP

With chastening haste, Russia came to understand their team’s key flaws: that they had a goalkeeper hardly blessed with the best decision-making skills, and a centre-back, in Sergei Ignashevich, nearing his 39th birthday.

The malaise did not end there. Denis Cheryshev turned fall guy when Diego Laxalt’s strike looped off his body and beyond the clutches of Akinfeev. As a contest, the match was effectively killed off inside 23 minutes, although Igor Smolnikov compounded his team-mates’ predicament when, showing no caution in light of his previous yellow card, he scythed down Laxalt in full flight to be sent off.

Stanislav Cherchesov, Russia’s smouldering bruiser of a coach, looked more thunderous than ever, although he did manage a moment of levity in the press conference, facing down his grim-faced inquisitors. He parted with the words: “That’s it? No applause? No nothing?”

A few seconds later, he decided to applaud himself.

In the circumstances, he could be forgiven a little gallows humour. It is not even a fortnight since he took a congratulatory telephone call from Putin after an opening 5-0 win, but it must now seem half a lifetime ago.

Uruguay were simply too quick, too elusive, too efficient for Russia to defy their detractors a third straight time. While Suarez deserved kudos for his seventh World Cup goal in national colours – only Oscar Miguez, whose last appearance on this stage came in 1954, has more for La Celeste – this was also a result built from the back.

Diego Godin showed precisely how he has carved a reputation as arguably the world’s most consistent defender. Even with the loss Jose Gimenez, his usual accomplice for both his country and Atletico Madrid, he never looked like being outwitted here. With a sixth shut-out in a row, Uruguay equalled a record that they last set in 1970.

“For the first few matches, you’re tense, and you don’t want to make any mistakes,” said Suarez, clutching his man-of-the-match award. “One mistake can be very expensive. This time, we came to the pitch with a different attitude and perspective, and that made us handle the pressure better.”

No wonder his coach, Oscar Tabarez, could scarcely stop smiling. “We won by a large margin but I like the fact that we didn’t concede,” Tabarez said.

“We could have won by more – sometimes the timing wasn’t perfect. But for me, the holy grail of football is balance. We work on our balance all the time.”

Even though 68 years have elapsed since they last won a World Cup, Uruguay should be considered the greatest threat in the knockout phase, even to the big beasts.

With Godin orchestrating the back line superbly, and with over £130 million worth of attacking quality wrapped up in Suarez and Edinson Cavani, this country of a mere 3.4 million people can still punch comfortably above its weight.

Once its players had a man advantage over Russia here, they seemed to be easing through a glorified training session. Where Artem Dzyuba was ponderous and lethargic for Russia, Suarez appeared a threat every time he surged forward.

So, too, did Cavani, even if he has spent much of his career in his strike partner’s shadow. With a blood-red sun sinking low against the Samara skyline, he finally snaffled the goal his efforts merited, poking in a rebound after Akinfeev had saved from Godin.

By then, most of the Russia fans, faces painted in anticipation of another glorious raid, were streaming towards the exits.

Yes, their team surpassed themselves to avoid the ignominy of a first-round exit. But the scale of this defeat told much about the task they face to sustain the party much further.

73 min Uruguay 2 Russia 0

71 min Uruguay 2 Russia 0

Godin, in that wily way he does, clatters into Dzyuba leading with his elbow then looks around pained as if he's the victim. The VAR takes a look but says no penalty. The correct call - Godin cleverly just not quite doing enough to be penalised for a foul.

70 min Uruguay 2 Russia 0

Cavani desperately wants a goal but he's beating the ground in frustration after sending an effort wide from the edge of the box having cut inside a couple of defenders. Cavani is yet to score at this World Cup.

57 min Uruguay 2 Russia 0

Crazy passage of play sees Nandez doing a Phil Jones and heading the ball along the floor. Russia win the ball back and almost carve out a chance but Miranchuk just overhits his pass meant for Dzyuba. Better from the hosts.

55 min Uruguay 2 Russia 0

53 min Uruguay 2 Russia 0

Russia's best chance of scoring looks to be from set-pieces, so manager Stanislav Cherchesov is raging at Samedov for looping a free-kick from the right harmlessly beyond everyone for a goal kick. Not ideal.

30 min Uruguay 2 Russia 0

29 min Uruguay 2 Russia 0

Uruguay should make it three and completely kill the game, but Bentancur is denied by Akinfeev when clean through on goal. I was screaming at my screen, telling Bentancur to try and dink it. Instead he went for the nutmeg and Akinfeev made the block. Moments earlier Smolnikov is booked for fouling Vecino.

Russia sticking with winning formula

Stanislav Cherchesov has made just three changes - replacing full-backs Mario Fernandes and Yuri Zhirkov with Igor Smolnikov and Fedor Kudriashov, and bringing in attacking midfielder Aleksey Miranchuk for the rested Aleksandr Golovin.

Change of system

Oscar Tabarez has abandoned the 4-4-2 diamond formation and gone for a 3-5-3, presumably to solve Uruguay's lack of width in their first two matches. It should also - in theory - help get the best out of Suarez and Cavani.

Uruguay's Luis Suarez and Uruguay's Martin Caceres arrive to Uruguay's official training on the eve of the group A match between Russia and Uruguay at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Samara Arena in Samara, Russia, Sunday, June 24, 2018Credit:
AP

What it means

So, the Arsenal central midfield target Lucas Torreira starts his first game at the World Cup for Uruguay, while the injured Jose Gimenez is replaced at centre-back by former Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates.

Who's winning today?

Decider

After both beginning the World Cup with consecutive victories, Uruguay and Russia meet this afternoon to decide who will top Group A.

Russia's vastly superior goal difference (8-1 compared to Uruguay's 2-0) means the hosts only need to draw today to top the group. Doing so is of course the aim for both sides, but the group winners could end up with the unenviable task of playing Spain depending on the results of tonight's Group B matches.

Much of the pre-match focus of this game has been on whether we should be suspicious of Russia's stunning start to the competition. When questioned by The Telegraph about why Russia (along with other nations, including England) had not disclosed how many players had undergone drugs tests at the tournament, their manager Stanislav Cherchesov said on Sunday: “Is this a question about the match or philosophy? I am not a doctor. We are talking about the match here.”

Cherchesov also bristled at the implications of reporters pointing out that Russia had covered far more distance than any other team in their first two matches in the tournament. “Those who know what physiology is, we went through the Confederations Cup, we did our preparations for that and the condition of the national team then was very good, ” he said.

Credit:
Getty Images

"Of course, we introduced some corrections and adjustments, we addressed our problems, and that’s why the team looks even better than during the Confederations Cup.”

Uruguay meanwhile have been more pre-occupied in the lead up to today with two pretty average performances in their first two matches, despite winning both games. Their 71-year-old manager Oscar Tabarez has urged his team to draw on the example of the 2011 Copa America when Uruguay started slowly but ended up winning the competition.

“We are aware that there is pressure there and we also believe that in our prior performances, we haven't fully lived up to our potential,' he told reporters on Sunday.

“But we face that with calmness. We have had these situations before. In the Copa America in 2011, it was a similar situation, there were matches where we were far from brilliant.”